According to a report from Football FanCast, Rangers are prepared to challenge Celtic for the signing of Hearts forward Claudio Braga, at the request of their incoming manager Derek McInnes.
As Rangers aim to surpass both Celtic and Hearts in the race for the Scottish Premiership title next season, their plans have been disrupted by the anticipated departure of current boss Danny Rohl, who is expected to join RB Salzburg.
The Ibrox club has already agreed on a three-year contract to bring McInnes from Hearts as Rohl’s successor, with final details being finalized before the move becomes official. The 54-year-old arrives with a strong reputation following an impressive 2025–26 season at Tynecastle, where he narrowly missed out on winning the league ahead of the Old Firm.
Despite a four-match losing streak that saw Rangers fall from serious title contenders to a distant third place, Rohl had received public backing from the club’s hierarchy. He is now set to rejoin the Red Bull group, having previously worked at RB Leipzig.
As reported by GIVEMESPORT, McInnes—a lifelong Rangers fan—was keen on taking the job as far back as last October, following the departure of Russell Martin after a poor start to the season.
Rangers Want Celtic Target Claudio Braga
Rangers have already signed one Hearts striker this summer in Lawrence Shankland, prior to McInnes’s arrival. Now, the Scottish manager is expected to ask the Rangers board to bring in another player from his soon-to-be former club.
According to Football FanCast, McInnes wants Rangers to acquire prolific Hearts forward Claudio Braga, who scored 17 goals in 44 appearances for the Edinburgh side after joining from Norwegian club Aalesunds last summer. Celtic have been linked with the 26-year-old Portuguese for months, but McInnes is now ready to deal a double blow to two of Rangers’ title rivals by reuniting Braga with Shankland at Ibrox.
Shankland and Braga combined for 37 goals this season at Hearts, and Rangers will hope for similar—or better—production if the pair are reunited next year.
Rangers Can Snatch Title Away from Celtic
Although Rohl made significant improvements after replacing Martin at Rangers, the team’s collapse following the Premiership split raised concerns heading into the new campaign. Now, Rangers have a manager in McInnes who came close to ending the Old Firm’s league dominance for the first time since 1985, and he will have a larger budget and better resources at his disposal.
The addition of proven goalscorer Shankland is already a major boost, and adding Braga to the mix could prove game-changing. Regardless of whether they sign Braga, Rangers and Celtic appear set for another fierce title battle.
McInnes and Shankland, in particular, will be determined to overcome Martin O’Neill’s side after last season’s dramatic and controversial final-day decider, in which Celtic edged Rangers to the championship.
